ANGĻU-LATVIEŠU JURIDISKĀ VĀRDNĪCA

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

This English-Latvian dictionary of legal terms was initially (starting from around 1993) just a working glossary for my personal use, when I started to translate from English into the rapidly evolving and re-emerging legal Latvian. I say “re-emerging” because formal Latvian was a hibernating language during the Soviet years (from 1940 until 1991) and then started to develop rapidly, as the country resumed its forcefully suspended life. The glossary later became a tool for terminology consistency within our translation company, Eglītis un Partneri SIA (Riga, Latvia), and appeared, with contributions from my colleagues Ms Linda Krumina, Ms Ligita Kikute and Ms Nadezda Smislayeva, in printed version as English-Latvian Dictionary for Translators of Legal Texts (in Latvian: Angļu-latviešu vārdnīca juridisko tekstu tulkotājiem), publisher: Eglītis un Partneri SIA, Riga 2006. It has now been further augmented through my experience and the need to find most adequate terms while working as an English-Latvian legal interpreter and translator in Scotland, UK. Again, I am indebted to discussions with and advice from my colleagues, especially Ms Linda Krumina who has suggested many of the terms included here.

This Dictionary has never been intended as a comprehensive, all-encompassing dictionary: most of the entries were made when a translation problem was encountered. Generally known terms are mostly omitted. An exception are the terms offered by the Terminology Commission of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (Latvijas Zinātņu Akadēmijas Terminoloģijas komisija), which is the most authoritative, specialised Latvian body for terminology development and coordination. I tried to include the terms suggested by them whenever I was aware of such, even when I did not find them most successful. They are marked in green and by the acronym TK, appearing in brackets (TK) after the respective term.
Further to strictly legal terms, the Dictionary also includes related terms often encountered by legal translators, from areas such as business, banking, accounting, finances, insurance, etc.

The other sources employed for terms or explanations include:

CL – Latvian Civil Code (Civillikums)
CPL – Latvian Civil Procedure Law (Civilprocesa likums)
FITL – Latvian Law on Financial Instruments Market (Finanšu instrumentu tirgus likums)
FKTK – Latvian Financial and Capital Market Commission (Finanšu un kapitāla tirgus komisija)
KL – Latvian Commercial Code (Komerclikums)
KoL – Latvian Competition Law (Konkurences likums)
KrL – Latvian Credit Institutions Law (Kredītiestāžu likums)
KrmL – Latvian Penal Code (Krimināllikums)
Law.Com. – Legal Dictionary LAW.COM
PPZ – Latvian Law on Trade Marks and Indications of Geographical Origin (Par preču zīmēm un ģeogrāfiskās izcelsmes norādēm)
TTC – Latvian Translation and Terminology Centre (Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs), now part of the State Language Centre (Valsts valodas centrs)
Webst. – Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Gramercy Books, New York, 1996
Wik. – Wikipedia

Abbreviations:
AK – United Kingdom – Apvienotā Karaliste
apdr. – insurance – apdrošināšana
gr. – accounting – grāmatvedība
lik. – law – likums
MK – Latvian Cabinet of Ministers – Ministru kabinets
not. – regulation/s – noteikumi
novec. – outdated – novecojis
par. – usually – parasti
pl. – plural – daudzskaitlis
sal. – compare – salīdzinājumam
Sk. – Scots Law – Skotijas tiesībās (Sk.)

DISCLAIMER: No guarantees are offered or implied as to the accuracy, thoroughness or quality of the information provided here, and I am not responsible for any errors or omissions. The information provided in this Dictionary is neither comprehensive nor appropriate for every context. Some of the information may be outdated, as entries have been made and amended at different times and terminology and concepts develop constantly. Users are strongly encouraged to verify any term in other sources and to make sure that any translation suggested here is indeed appropriate for their particular legal document and context.